Memo From Massachusetts: 25 MPH Speed Limit Would Save Lives

If Massachusetts dropped the speed limit on local roads from 30 to 25 mph, it would save 18 lives and prevent 1,200 injuries per year, according to an analysis performed last year. Image: MAPC

Researchers in Massachusetts have concluded that lowering the default speed limit on local roads from 30 to 25 mph would save lives and yield big public health benefits. Even without additional traffic calming measures, a lower speed limit on its own would prevent 2,200 crashes, 1,200 injuries, and 18 fatalities in the state of 6.6 million, according to an analysis of a 25 mph bill considered by the Massachusetts legislature last year. These numbers should be on the minds of New York legislators, who have the potential to save lives with a 25 mph bill of their own.

By lowering speed limits on local roads to prevent deaths and injuries, Massachusetts workers and employers would save $210 million annually by avoiding the costs of medical payments and missed work, according to a first-of-its-kind health impact assessment from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

Traffic analysts found that lower speed limits would add $148 million in annual costs, based mainly on the assumption that drivers would seek out longer routes that may not be as direct but would yield higher speed limits. Even with the added driving, the extra pollution would not result in any deaths, and the reduction in injuries and fatalities outweighed the additional costs.

If anything, the study undercounted the potential benefits of lower speed limits. “The health cost savings are done very, very conservatively,” said MAPC public health manager Barry Keppard. For example, the study did not measure the impact of calmer streets on property values, or whether lower speeds would encourage more people to walk or bike.

The speed limit bill in Massachusetts would have applied to local roads across the entire state, from the Berkshires to Boston. Although there is broad support for a 25 mph speed limit, the bill has stalled in the legislature because of wrangling over local control. “It didn’t have to do with the content and the substance,” said WalkBoston Executive Director Wendy Landman. “The advocacy got stuck on this other stuff.”

The situation here in New York is different. The bill in Albany would only apply to New York City, and its success hinges on the backing of State Senate leadership. On Tuesday, Families for Safe Streets is hosting a press conference to demand action from the Senate.

ALSO ON STREETSBLOG

The New York state legislature voted last night to lower New York City’s default speed limit from 30 to 25 mph. The bill now heads to Governor Andrew Cuomo, who is expected to sign it. While the votes last night were overwhelming and bipartisan — 106-13 in the Assembly, followed nearly two hours later by […]

On Saturday, Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill lowering the default speed limit in New York City from 30 mph to 25 mph, a significant milestone for Mayor de Blasio’s Vision Zero initiative and a major accomplishment for victims’ families, street safety advocates, and their legislative allies in Albany. Here’s what to keep an eye […]

One of London’s 20 mph zones, with physical traffic calming measures and the speed limit prominently displayed. Image: ITDP-Europe via Flickr. When Mayor Bloomberg announced that the new pedestrian spaces in Midtown are here to stay, he made special note of the safety improvements on Broadway, which he called "reason enough to make this permanent." […]

Council members David Greenfield and Mark Treyger think drivers should be able to go faster on Ocean Parkway, one of the city’s most dangerous streets. The multi-lane boulevard, running from Church Avenue to Coney Island, is a Vision Zero priority corridor because of its high rate of serious pedestrian injuries and fatalities. Lower speed limits on their own […]

Just before the midnight deadline last night, State Senate Co-Leader Jeff Klein introduced legislation that would lower New York City’s default speed limit from 30 to 25 miles per hour. The new bill is an improvement over the proposal Klein floated last week, but it still has drawbacks. The bill is a step up from […]

Families of traffic violence victims gathered with advocates and elected officials this morning to ask State Senate leadership to lower New York City’s default speed limit from 30 to 25 mph. The families are hoping key Senate leaders will introduce and pass a companion to the 25 mph Assembly bill sponsored by Speaker Sheldon Silver before this year’s […]